This invention relates to a laminate and its method of preparation. Particularly, this invention relates to a fabric and foam laminate which resists creasing when the fabric is bent.
Fabric and foam laminates are used in a number of upholstery applications, and in particular, in automobile upholstery. The laminate includes an outer upholstery fabric, an inner foam layer to provide cushioning, and usually also a rear fabric or scrim which facilitates securement of the laminate to an underlying substrate. One of the problems with fabric/foam laminates of this type is that they have limited flexibility, and tend to form undesirable creases when the fabric is bent or contoured. This tendency toward creasing significantly limits the number of uses of the laminates. Creasing is particularly a problem in upholstering the oddly shaped contours of an automobile such as the seats, headliners, door panels or arm portions thereof.
A prior attempt to solve this creasing problem in a fabric and foam laminate for upholstered furniture is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,360,423 to Lindberg. To increase the flexibility of the fabric/foam laminate, the backing sheet is adhered to the foam layer by a discontinuous, patterned adhesive layer. Thus, flexibility is improved when the fabric/foam laminate is bent in a direction away from the backing sheet, since the backing sheet is free to buckle. However, no improvement in flexibility is provided when the laminate is bent in the opposite direction.
The laminate of the present invention advantageously avoids creasing when bent in a direction either toward or away from the backing sheet. The laminate can be bent through relatively large angles, e.g. on the order of about 45 degrees, without creasing. Of primary significance is that these laminates are much more versatile and can be employed on a much wider range of contoured substrates.